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No. 6|8,820. Patented Feb. 7, 1899.

F. E. ARBOUHUIER.

LOOM.

(Application filed May 9, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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ava @M'M W FREDRICK E. ARROUQUIER, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOROF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES H. PALMER, OF SAME PLACE.

LOOM.

SIEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,820, dated February7, 1899. Application filed May 9, 1898. Serial No. 680,217. (No model.)

' weaving straw mattings or other material of a stiff or wiry nature orin which the filling substance is furnished in separate lengthscorresponding to the width of the fabric, and particularly relates tothat part of the loom known as the reec slay, or batten and devicescombined therewith, the object being to provide in connection with thereed efficient means for supporting and directing the introducedweft-strand during its insertion and for then releasing the said strandwithin the shed, so as to be properly laid in the fabric, therebyrendering the operation of the mechanism sure and rapid; also, toprovide a loom-reed having combined with its bars a series ofguiding-eyes or movable loops for receiving the straw or filling strandand means for automatically opening said guide-eyes while the beating-upaction is effected. These objects I attain by mechanism the nature andoperation of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein Figure 1 is a front view of a loom-reed embodying the featuresof my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section at line X X on asomewhat larger scale. Fig. 3 is a detail section showing the reed-barand guide devices. Fig. at is a rear view of the guide device. Fig. 5 isa front View of a portion of a reed-bar.

Referring to parts, A denotes the breastbeam of a loom; B, the lay orreed-carrier, which is operated toward and from the breastbeam by anywell-known or suitable means for beating up the weft-strands as thefabric is woven.

B is the hand-rail or top part of the lay in which the head of the reedis supported.

D indicates the reed, consisting of a slitted plate or series of uprightbars having narrow spaces d between them for the passage of thewarp-threads c, which threads unite in the fabric C at the point 2 andwhich can be actuated to form a shed by any desired arrangement ofharnesses and shedding mechanism (not shown) operating in well-knownmanner.

Combined with each of the reed-bars or any required number of them Iprovide a semitubular strand-guiding device F, preferably consisting ofa semicircular eye or loop arranged directly upon the face of the reedand having a shank-lever f attached thereto and fulcrumed at 3, so thatthe guide-loop can close down against the reed-surface or swing outwardtherefrom at its lower edge, as indicated in Fig. 3. The guide-loop isbest made substantially the same width as the reed-bar, while its shankf is narrower and curved to pass through a slot 6 in said reedbar,bringing the end of the shank in rear thereof. The guide device isprovided with laterally-projecting fulcrum-pins 3, (see Fig. 4,) and theface of the reed-bar is transversely grooved at 71., (see Fig. 5,) thefulcrum being formed by laying said pins into said grooves, where theyare retained by the force of the springs I, that are provided forclosing the guides.

When closed down against the face of the reed, the series of eyes orguide-loops form a closed guideway, space, or channel, into and throughwhich the filling-strand or straw can be passed by its endwise movementand wherein it is supported and directed for rapidly entering thewarp-shed without breaking or deviating from its course and from whichguideway it cannot escape laterally until said guide-loops are swungoutward from the face of the reed, thereby opening the guide-eye, sothat the straw or strand can readily escape or bedischarged therefrominto the shed by lateral or downward movement.

The loop-eyes F are best slightly rounded on their edges to avoid anyliability of the straw catching thereon as it is shot endwise into thereed.

G indicates a bar for operating the series of guides F. Said bar is inthe present instance disposed at the back of and parallel with the reedjust beneath the top or hand railB and is connected at its ends withswinging arms G, pivoted to suitable earings at h, or may be otherwisesupported in a manner to aiford a limited backward-and-forward movementfor said bar while maintaining its parallel relation to the plane of thereed. A longitudinal groove 5 is formed in the under side of the bar G,within which the ends G of the guide-shanks f engage, so that movementof said operating-bar imparts simultaneous retractive movement to all ofthe strandguiding devices for opening the guide-eyes. When the bar isreleased, the guide-eyes close bythe resilient action of the springs I,which are fixed to the front of the reed.

K indicates an angle-lever fulcrumed at 7 to an ear fixed on the lay Band having its upright arm K adapted for pressing back- .ward theoperating-bar G, while its horizontal arm K extends forward for contactwith a tappet piece M, fixed on the stationary breast-beam A, and havingan inclined end surface 111, that elevates the arm K The angle-lever Keffects rearward movement of the bar G and an opening action of theguide loops or eyes F as the lay approaches the breast in beating up theweft.

R R indicate feed-rolls mounted at the end of the reed to be rotated inthe direction indicated by any suitable driving appliances. P indicatesa tubular guide for directing the strand from the rolls R into theguideway along the face of the reed, and L indicates a funnel-shapedentrance-mouth for directing the introduced end of a straw or strand tothe bite of the feed-rolls.

In the operation the straws or strands or other weft material,cut to therequired length for the particular width of fabric to be woven, arerespectively introduced one at a time as the lay swings back and theshed is opened by endwise presentation thereof, by hand or by somesuitable automatic mechanism, directly through the mouth L to thefeed-rolls R. Said feed-rolls by their rotary action inject the strawendwise through the guide-loops F along the face of the reed D with aquick and sure action,the loops supporting and directing the strandorstraw and preventing its crumpling, breaking, or interfering with thewarpthreads as it is shot forward across the reedface within the openwarp-shed while the lay is at backward position. Then as the lay movesforward (see movement-line s) the end K of the angle-lever strikes thecamsurface on of the tappet-piece and said lever presses back the bar G,thereby causing retraction of the guiding devices F,which swing outward,as shown by full lines on Fig. 3, thus allowing the straw or otherstrand to escape therefrom downward for its discharge into the warp-shedin time to become beaten up into the fabric as the lay and reed reachtheir forward position. As the lay moves backward the angle-lever isreleased from the cam-surface on and the guide-loops F are closedagainst the face of the reed by their springs 1, ready to receiveanother straw, and the operation is successively repeated as the weavingoperation goes on.

The length of the guide-eye in direction transverse to the reed may bemade more or less, as desired, and any number of such guides may be usedfor covering the length of the full reed-face or any portion thereof, asdesired.

What I claim as of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. The combination, with a loom-reed comprising a slitted plate orseries of upright bars with spaces between, of a retractiblestrand-supporting guide consisting of a forwardly-swinging loop arrangedupon the face of the reed, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination in a loom-reed, of the reed-plate comprising a seriesof upright bars and spaces, the semitubular strand-guiding devicepivotally arranged on the front of the reed-plate to close directly uponthe face of said reed-bars, feed mechanism adapted for injecting a strawstrand endwise into said guiding device, and means substantially asdescribed for retracting said guide devices from the reed-surface todischarge the straw into the shed.

3. In areed mechanism for matting-looms, a reed provided upon itsrespective reed-bars with guide loops or eyes adapted for the receptionof the filling-straw introduced by endwise movement thereof, saidguide-loops car ried by levers fulcrumed above their eye, yieldinglyspring-pressed for closure of the eye against the reed-bar, and movablefor opening the guide to permit delivery of the straw therefrom; incombination, with a guide-operating bar controlling said guidelooplevers, a bar-actuating lever, and means for imparting motion thereto asthe reed advances and recedes with the beating-up action of the lay,substantially as set forth.

4. A reed mechanism for matting-looms, comprising in combination aseries of reedbars with spaces between, a series of guideeyes eachhaving a projecting shank or arm fulcrumed on the respective reed-bars,the grooved actuating-bar engaging with said arms and common to theseries for simultaneously operating said guide-eyes, and means formoving said actuating-bar to open and close the guide-eyes, for thepurpose set forth.

5. The combination with a reed-bar, of the swinging lever-guidefulcrumed on said reedbar and having therein a recess or space thatserves as a strand supporting and guiding eye closable against the faceof the reed-bar, a spring normally pressing said guide-eye toward theface of the reed, and a guide-retracting device and actuating meanstherefor retaining said fulcruin pins in their grooves, brought intoaction with the movement of the substantially as set forth. [oreed-carrier or lay, substantially as set forth. Witness my hand this28th day of April,

6. The combination of the reed-bar slotted 1898.

5 at e and having the grooves n, the guide-loop FREDRICK E. ARROUQUIER.

lever provided-With bearing-pins 3 f nlcrnmed Witnesses: in saidgrooves, the spring I normally press- CHAS. H. BURLEIGH,

ing said guide-loop toward the reed-bar, and ELLA P. BLENUS,

